Yes, another chapter, another sleepless two nights in a row. But for these two-it's worth it, believe me.
And, I'm sick. I think my fever wrote this for me.
Disclaimer: Every single time we do this! Urgh…no own.
That Never Ends Well
They were watching each other. It was love at first sight. (To Shawn anyway.) That look he was getting, the way his joints moved were beyond a well oiled machine, sliding smoothly as he stalked closer. Shawn was entranced.
So was the other.
Lassiter was fully sure the two of them had stopped breathing.
"So….." He broke the thick hanging silence with a cough, catching Shawn's attention, and the cat's as well.
"Is that…The One?" The little kitten was given such a title because such fuss and confusion had been massed together searching for the Right One in Shawn's eyes. Carlton didn't want to complain, but after the fifth pet shop…honestly he wasn't sure where he was pulling his patience from these days.
Shawn's gaze turned back to the small, freckled little kitten. Stretching a consciousness hand out toward it, the one bandaged heavily from the pineapple incident, and waited for the kitten to pad over in his own curiosity. Which it did, of course. It rubbed hesitantly against Shawn fingers, sniffed his bandage, and then purred even more, a skinny little sleek black tail straight in the air.
"Yeah." Was all Shawn breathed.
They paid for the little guy, cat carrier recently retrieved and other cat hodgepodge things strewn about in the back of Lassiter's car. And Shawn turned to him, kitten cradled in his embrace, the puesdo-psychic stood on his tiptoes, leaned forward and pecked his surprisingly soft lips against Lassiter's with an air of finality and kindness.
"Thanks!" And Shawn was gone as quickly as he had come, leaving a needles to say stunned Lassiter faintly touching his just purged lips alone on the pavement…
Alright then.
And on normal circumstance, Lassiter would never approve of this, never, let alone cuddling and caring for Shawn, he would not let the younger get the satisfaction of Shawn thinking Lassiter enjoyed his company in anyway. When he did enjoy it, in every way. But things are different now, Shawn wasn't Shawn, in a state of mind Lassiter had seen reserved only for young innocent children.
A week ago, Shawn wasn't within a frog's hair of that definition.
But now he is now, but that's what counted, more than anything.
But that kiss…it was wrong. It was bad. It was different. This was not How They Acted.
And it didn't seem to faze Shawn in his new surroundings. But then, nothing really seemed to faze Shawn, not now, not back Then.
And, what seemed to start off so right and smooth, and even hinting that Shawn maybe closer to be Back From Hell, (as Lassiter was starting to put it) of course, of course, something had to go to send Shawn one step forward, and three steps back.
And as Murphy said it so prophetically, what can go wrong, will go wrong.
His uncertain little brunette had begged, pleaded, got down and his hands and knees and tackled Carlton full on until the older man was both swearing and laughing, to come with him to the station.
"But I don't wanna be aloooonnne!"
"You won't be, you've got that furball with you-"
"Please!"
"No!"
"Please!"
"NO!"
"….pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
"……..Goddammit. Get in the car."
So, here they were. The detective duos, the unstoppable pair, the twosome most awarded for being like a…
"Married couple." Gus shook his head as he confirmed while watching the two spparing off against each other in mock verbal fight as Lassiter stormed into the bullpen, and Shawn trotted faithfully behind. The lost sort of puppy look Shawn harbored only avowed Gus' suspicions and Henry's facts that he had been told over the phone on the way back from his meeting. Honestly, Shawn just couldn't keep out of trouble, now could he?
Gus had come to the office, both to ask Juliet if she knew, and what, and because Henry had said, before hanging up the phone, that if he wanted to see his best friend, he was going to have to see Carlton first. Taking charge over Shawn's mental and physical state was something that he wouldn't originally deem Carlton Lassiter worthy, but then, it wasn't what Gus wanted, it was what Shawn wanted.
And knowing Shawn since practically from birth, Gus learned, that what Shawn wanted, Shawn got.
It was like, scrawled in the Bible, or something.
"Hello." Shawn said politely as they neared. He offered the black man a gentle grin, a grin that paled in comparison to the smirk Gus could picture on Shawn's face only a few weeks ago. Shawn saw Gus as someone who should look familiar, but wasn't. Well, this was happening slot, after a while, Shawn mused that even anyone might just get bored and brush things off. And if something wasn't recognizable, or comfortable in anyway, Lassie was right there to patch things and protect him besides the matter.
"There isn't really anything to worry about." Shawn assured, after learning a number of things about Gus, his 'best friend' he made a mental note to never forget again. (But then, he had said these things the last times, too.)
Gus sighed softly, relived and worried and confused all at the same time. He couldn't stay long and he knew he shouldn't. Carlton needed a good clear view of Shawn if they were ever going to get Shawn back. That's what had happened when Shawn was sixteen, what Gus had had to do.
Gus had gone through hell, had seriously considered going in for therapy after Shawn had been 'saved.'
But never, Gus had never seen Shawn act like this. Of course, he wasn't sure any of them had, Shawn was so heavily reliant on Lassiter, like a lifeline, a rope with which to keep grappled to the reality of life with. He wasn't sure how to take it, pushed aside. Even if this meant that he had more time for his career, it didn't mean that he hadn't, well, enjoyed their cases.
Gus was really starting to wish right now that he hadn't gone on that trip in the first place.
"Well…I'd better take off. Got some stuff back at the office to…take care of." Reluctant as he was to let his best friend out of his sight, he honestly admitted that there really wasn't much that he, Burton Gustor could do. Well…damn, but if that's the way the brunette wanted it…fine, he supposed.
Shawn nodded his good bye, watched the other man leave through the wide doors, and then saw the next person who entered those doors, a person who was struggling, putting up a fight, growling like an animal, who had black hair, Shawn remembered…who had…gray eyes…who…had…who looked, in a light that wasn't bright, like an alley light, shoving him against brick walls…
Shawn's eyes widened. He knew this person. But….This wasn't a person. It was a demon. It was bad.
It hurt him.
Shawn went on his animal instinct, the only true thing he could rely on anymore.
"Shawn?"
That, and Carly.
Lassiter saw him as well. He wasn't going to need Shawn to verbally confirm the…man. The look on the slighter's face really said it all. In fact, it said even more.
Shawn whimpered, began backing up blindly, slowly, from the cuffed man being held merely a few yards away. Shawn came in contact with Carlton's desk, eyes wide, and muscles still sore, now very tense. Lassiter had two roads in this case.
He growled angrily and started forward, passing the dazed and blindsided Spencer and whirling by a confused Juliet until he was pinning the perp's, no, the assaulter's worthless-piece-of-trash-'s body. Lassiter wanted nothing more in the world than to work this guy over with a baseball bat. To rip him limb from limb and make him experience the same pain, no, triple the pain, that Shawn went through a hundred times over. He settled for another deep threatening growl and harsh spoken words that could have stripped even the most brutish persona to a pale cowering figure against the wall.
And when Lassiter was done, the man was handled easily, like a kitten, pushed away, gaping mouth and eyes wide as he was led to a very dark cell by some Bud. As far as Lassiter was concerned, this was nothing less than what he deserved.
But the aftermath…
Carlton strode back to his desk, the way cleared in record time, and the officers, even if they were on his side, were cowering in corners and behind their own desks, none wanting to face off against the furious Head Detective for all the power in the world. Lassiter glanced around, the space around his desk vacant, a certain brunette absent in his time of need. Or something like that. Carlton found his psychic seconds later. Under his desk.
Well, there were odder places Lassiter was quite convinced Shawn could fit if he wanted.
Lassiter got on his hands and knees, watching, with pain stricken eyes, at the curled position, and sounds Shawn was making were sounds… because no one should ever make, least of all human.
"Shawn…"
Something in his voice must have carried his pain, because Shawn stopped shaking, took several deep breaths to collect himself, and then did his best to look up at his detective's face.
What Shawn found there shocked him. Lassiter looked like he was suffering more than he was. He looked like he didn't know what to do, and he was trembling so much…
But Lassiter wasn't hurt, and he always knew what to do… The pain of his once healing injuries became less distracting and his mind was finally able to focus mostly on one thing as he reached out toward Lassiter with his left hand in silent askance and confusion.
When Lassiter couldn't seem to say anything, Shawn regained his voice. "L-Lassiter…?"
"…Shawn, I'm so sorry," Lassiter whispered. "I shouldn't have let him be brought so close…I didn't think…I…"
Shawn's eyes, still so full of amazement, widened in understanding. "…Lassiter, this isn't your fault," he said, still hiccupping from his salty tears.
Lassiter choked incredulously, but then clenched his eyes shut and shook his head to regain focus. He didn't have time to make this about him. Shawn was 'hurt' and he had to take care of him. But the frightened look Shawn had once donned was replaced slowly with an exhausted, tried gaze.
"Shawn." The mentioned flinched, causing Lassiter too as well. "Shawn, it's all right. He's gone. You're alright."
"Carlton…" A sniffled, single, murmured syllable. It wasn't even a question-it was more like an honorable mention. So to speak. Sigh.
Carlton nodded softly, "Yeah." He spoke softer to Shawn than he had to anyone in a long time. Even his wife. A very long time, that made it then. "I'm here. I'm not going any where."
"Ah…" Shawn, for once in his life, seemed speechless, lifeless, cold and shaken. Carlton wasn't sure, was reaching out on a limb, and embraced the fallen fake-psychic protectively. There, under the security of his desk. It was a miracle they could fit, the two of them.
"You're alright now. I promise." And Shawn, for all he was worth, just pressed his face into Carlton's chest and nodded softly.
Assurance is a wonderful thing, after all.
TBC
Wah, their first kiss! And Lassie gets over-protective!! I am now awaiting major fangirl squeals…I got one from my friend when she read this… Why is this chapter so short? I would like some feedback! I don't care if they're anonymous; I need to know if what I'm doing is alright! People are still reading this….right? I'm too impatient to keep going. I like this chapter too much. Ah well.
The more reviews, the faster you'll all get the next chappie, m'kay? M'kay.